Marion County Children Services’ mission is to lead the community in the protection of children by working with families to promote, develop, and maintain safe and permanent homes. According to the agency, “Our employees of the year exemplify the goals and outcomes we wish to achieve.”

The reasons for their recognition include:

Francis Hernandez- Placement Supervisor. “Only a supervisor for a short time, she took the reins and ran with them. She is the model of leadership and strives to make the employees that work for her better on a daily basis. She knows how to get work done.”

Ellen Thrush- Intake Caseworker. “Ellen came in a little over a year ago, hit the ground running, and hasn’t stopped since. She is all that you would want in a worker who has years of experience, but always willing to learn. She is compassionate with her families, and always wants to see them succeed, and is there to support them through the process.”

Mandy Davis- Intake Caseworker. ” Mandy is everything you could ask for in a seasoned worker. She is always willing to help new staff learn the “ropes” and go above and beyond what is asked of her. Her strong connections with law enforcement have helped streamline a lot of processes that occur between the agencies.”

Dempsey Slone- Maintenance. “Dempsey is not only the nicest guy you will ever meet, he is the glue that holds Children Services together. From fixing things we break without a second thought, to coming in early to ensure all the walkways are free of snow and safe for us to walk on, without Dempsey, it would be impossible for the casework staff to complete their jobs.”